Method of producing rotating electric arcs.



A. FOSS.

METHOD OF PRODUCTNG ROTATING ELECTRIC ARCS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1913.

1,175,252. Patented Mar. 14,1916.

i tttt UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIUS FOSS, OF CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, ASSIGNOR TO NORSK HYDRO-ELEKTRISK KVAELSTOFAKTIESELSKAB, OF CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY.

METHOD OF PRODUCING ROTATING ELECTRIC ARCS.

. Application filed September 15. 1913.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Axioxius Foss. a subject of the King of Norway. residing at Christiania, Norway, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Methods of Producing Rotating Electric Ares; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, and to letters or figures of re erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object a method of producing rotating electric arcs.

hen an electric arc is subjected to the action of a revolving gas current, which at the same time draws the are out in the direction'of the axis of the rotation then the arc will tend to place itself in the center of the gas whirl the well known long stable arcs being hereby obtained. Even if the are is established between two electrodes which are for instance of an annular form or between a rod shaped electrode and an annular electrode the whirling gas will have the effect that only quite a small part of the arc will move on the surface of a body of revolution, the base of which is constituted by the electrodes or the electrode respectively while the greater part will be situated in the center of the gas whirl. If it Were possible to cause the whole are to move on the surface of a body of rotation instead of being substantially in the form of a rod, then it would no doubt be possible to obtain important advantages as to the output of nitrous products. Further the length of the furnace for a certain amount of energy would be reduced in proportion as the surface of the arc increases and also other advantages will result. According to the present invention arcs of this character are obtained when proceeding in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. F'g. 3 is a section taken through the tan gential gas passages B.

In the example illustrated in Fig. 1 the operation is as follows: A is the furnace, which may be made of any suitable mate- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Serial No. "89,857.

rial and the sectional area of which is dependent upon the shape of the electrodes. In this furnace the electrodes E E' are placed. which in this special example have an annular form. At one of the electrodes gas i blown into the furnace at the periphery of the same through tangential channels 1%. Of course the gas may also be intro duced through holes which are evenly distributed over the whole surface of the furnace. Inside of or concentric with the electrode E is placed a pipe B which according to the size of the electrodes, blows the gas into the furnace as a jet annular in section. The gas jet may of course be of any other sectional form. \Vhen an arc is now established between the electrodes E. E for in stance by short circuiting the electrodes in a suitable manner, and gas'is at the same time blown in through the peripherally arranged channels B which are placed more or less at an angle to the axis of the furnace, then an arc will be formed. which tends to place itself in the center of the gas whirls. However. if at. the same. time gas is blownin through the pipe B inside of the annular electrode then the arc will be blown outwardl and on rotating it will move along the surface of a body of rotation whose form depends upon the form of the electrodes and the power of the gas current. The gas leaves the furnace at the electrode E, where suitable cooling means may be arranged.

Another embodiment of the invention is 9 illustrated in Fig. 2. where two furnaces are combined into one in such manner, that the electrodes E, E are situated one in each end 'of the furnace. Inside of the electrodes E. E the supply pipes B-B are arranged. In the periphery of the furnace near to the annular electrodes the obliquely situated gas supply channels BB are arranged. As mentioned these channels may also be arranged over the whole surface of the furnace. The gas is drawn off at suitable points of the circumference of the furnace for instance at C or also in the center of the same and by means of cooled pipes suitably arranged. In whatever manner the gases are discharged, a part of the same must pass through the arc, whereby an energetic heating of the gas is effected. As will be understood from the above one may in this manner by the simplest possible means produce arcs having a very great surface and con' suming large amounts of electrical power. It is evident that arcs of this kind are more profitable for effecting chemical reactions in gases-than the long rod shaped arcs hitherto employed, the gas coming according to the present method in a much more intimate contact with the are on account of the permanent tendency of the arc to place itself in the center of the gas whirl, which is prevented by the current of air, which is blown in inside of the electrode and within a the arc annulus. As a consequence hereof the efliciency-will be increased correspondingly. Furthermore a furnace constructed in accordance with this invention can be made considerably shorter than such in which rod shaped arcs are produced, and this again involves a reduction in the cost of the plant and also other advantages.

I claim:

1. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking the arc between suitable electrodes and supporting the arc throughout its length between two substantially concentric currents of gas.

2. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking the are between suitable electrodes and supporting the arc throughout its length between two s'ubstan tially concentric annular currents of gas.

3. The method of forming-rotating arcs, which comprises striking an are between two opposite electrodes, andsupporting the are throughout its length between two currents of gas acting in opposite directions.

4. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking the are between suitable electrodes and supporting the arc throughout its length between a rotating gas current and a concentric longitudinal gas current.

5. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking an are capable of rotation between suitable electrodes, directing a plurality of gas jets substantially to the exterior of the arc and producing a gas current within the are substantially along its center, between said electrodesl 6. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking an are capable of rotation between suitable electrodes, and supporting the are between oppositely directed internal gas currents and oppositely directed external gas currents.

7. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking an are capable of rotation between suitable electrodes, and supporting the are between oppositely directed internal gas currents and oppositely directed external gas currents, said internal and external gas currents exerting substan tially opposite radial pressures.

8. The method of forming rotating arcs, which comprises striking an are capable of rotation between suitable electrodes, subjecting the arc exteriorly to the action of rotating currents of gas from opposite directions and interiorly to oppositely directed currents of gas. V

9. The method of forming rotatingarcs, which comprises striking an arc capable of rotation between suitable electrodes, supplying to the exterior of the are from its opposite ends a number of substantially tangentially directed gas jets and to its interior oppositely directed gas jets.

10. The method of forming rotating electric arcs, which comprises establishing a long are capable of performing a rotating motion around the axis of the furnace, introducing gas inside of the surface of rotation formed by the said rotating arc substantially in the direction of the axis of rotation and also introducing gas outside of the surface described by the rotating arc.

11. In an electric furnace producing a rotating are, a. furnace chamber, spaced electrodes therein, a gas supply chamber adjacent one electrode havin t orifices, and a gas supply pipe at said tje ctrode arranged to supply gas through the middle thereof and to form a substantially gaseous surface of revolution for supporting the arc throughout its length.

12. In an electric furnace producing a rotating arc, a furnace chamber, annular electrodes at opposite ends thereof, a gas supply chamber surroundingone of the electrodes and having jet orifices directed substantially tangential to said electrode, and an annular gas supply pipe concentric with said electrode, arranged 0 form a supporting core for said arc.

13. In an electric furnace producing a rotating arc, a furnace chamber, an annular electrode at each end thereof, a gas supply chamber .at each end having jet orifices leading to the furnace chamber, annular gas sup ply pipes substantially concentric with the electrodes arranged to direct opposed annu- ANTONIUS FOSS. \Vitnesses:

M. E. GULTARMSEN, RUTH LiNns rnoM.

Copies of thls patent may be-obtained 'ior five cents each. by addressing the Commission ei of Patents,

v Washington, D. C." 

